Country Pure Foods Inc., an Akron fruit juice processor, hopes the installation of two new pieces of equipment will enable it to box up more business next year.
The company is investing close to $4 million in two machines that will fill plastic-coated, foil-lined cardboard containers known in packaging industry jargon as aseptic boxes -- and more commonly known by parents as juice boxes. However, the contents of Country Pure's juice boxes won't be for retail consumption. The company will pour between 23.5 to 64 ounces of concentrated fruit juices into commercial-size juice boxes for use by institutional customers such as hospitals and schools.
The aseptic filling machines, which should be operational by December at Country Pure's plants in Akron and DeLand, Fla., and the juice boxes hardly sound exciting. But the new machines will be significant in helping Country Pure retain and gain customers and boost revenues, said Raymond Lee, the company's chief executive officer.
'In three years we want to have close to $10 million in incremental revenues,' from juice box operations, Mr. Lee said. Country Pure expects sales of $120 million in 1999, he said.
The company's existing lines of fruit juice products all require cold storage. With the new machines, Country Pure will package concentrated juices that can be stored without refrigeration, Mr. Lee said.
The new offering from Country Pure will be a useful tool in drumming up more business from its existing base of institutional and food service customers, as well as nabbing new clients from competitors, Mr. Lee said. He said many of Country Pure's current and potential customers 'are running out of freezer and cooler space,' so a concentrated product that can be stored without refrigeration is likely to garner a lot of interest.
Country Pure isn't leading the packaged juice pack. However, the company believes it has an advantage over competitors, most of which contract out for the production and packaging of their boxed products, Mr. Lee said.
'We are going to be the only ones that self-package this product,' he said. 'And we are the only ones that will self-manufacture. So we think we can do it for cheaper.'
Country Pure already supplies retailers and institutions with flavored fruit juices under the Natural Country, Glacier Valley, Sunflo and Sunny Lea brand names. The company also produces private label products for retailers. It operates three processing plants in Ohio, Florida and Connecticut.
Country Pure believes it could become a one-stop fruit juice shop for organizations that have large and varied orders for refrigerated and unrefrigerated fruit juice products, Mr. Lee said.